Half-kin
Half-kin, known to many by different names based on their heritage, are the unholy combination of man and monster from the era of the human inhabitation of Jotunheim. Thrown away from human society under fear of their monstrous origins, and unable to keep up with their beastly parents, these people have banded together in hopes of abandoning to treacherous Jotunheim in favor of a safe haven; a place that they could call home. Society Origins Half-Giants Born of the unnatural pairing of Human and Giant, the first Half-Giant came upon by the end of the seven century war as the dwarven front started waning and the Giants started making their way to the human filled southern part of Jotunheim. It is unsure what reasoning lead to this union, as at the time of war the notion of Giants taking captives was absurd, yet the proof of the concept now wades through the land. The first of the Half-Giants to grace the land, did so under the ruling of their larger parents, acting as equals; however, that peaceful alliance did not last as the taint of Human blood made itself appearant on the lesser Giants. They were not as a durable as their larger parent; their strength was bounds past that of a Human but meager in the ranks of a Giant army, and while they lived longer than a human; their longevity never reached the Giant's apparent immortality. The disappointment in their offspring was so great, that by the time the second generation of Half-Giants graced the earth; it was only given parentage by their Half-Giant brethren and no signal of Giant bred half-kin ever showed up again. Left with no place to call their own, and no strength to defend themselves from their now estranged parents; the Half-Giants traveled tirelessly throughout the land, hoping to one day step foot in a land they could call home. Half-Trolls The result of Troll deviance, Half-Trolls are the race given birth to by the sick playful nature of Trolls. It is said that the result of being a Trolls play thing is akin to that of an eternity in Hel; these nocturnal mountain dwelling carnivores are the boogeyman that housewifes tell their children to scare them off the idea of playing near the hills and mountains, if only their deeds were limited to that of a children's story. Known for playing with their food before feasting, these beings have been found doing everything under the sun to their prey; torture, blood paintings, rituals and on occassion, rape. The result of the latter gave birth to the Half-Trolls, a race that showed it's face to the world two centuries ago, when they escaped Heimsendir and made home on the mountain ranges of Jotunheim and Kriegergröf. Originally conceived as a mere mean of temporary entertainment, the Half-Trolls actually ended up becoming one of Troll kinds greatest accomplishment, as their children showed to have many qualities natural to a human; a passion to uncover the hidden, to experience the passions and to spread their wings. All traits that would suffer greatly under Troll rule, providing years of entertainment for the race while also keeping the discerning traits of a Troll; the quick rise to anger, the larger and more muscular build and the regeneration allowing them to withstand the Trolls unusual pleasures. One thing that they did not inherent from their troll parents is that of their slow wit; enduring their torture, they watched their numbers swell as the Troll greed for new toys and a slave army became their downfall. Gathering their bolstered numbers and what little they could grab as weapons, the Half-Trolls waged war on their parents, eventually managing to escape their grasp with but a sliver of their previous numbers (ca. 837 Jt). Broken and bloodied but finally free, the remaining Half-Trolls started their journey to the human lands to join their fairer parent. The extent of their cursed blood was only discovered when the two met, as the same blood that allowed them to survive the tyrannical torture of the Trolls caused them to be met only with hate and fear. Thus the remaining Half-Trolls turned towards Jotunheim as their only remaining salvation, where they would eventually met with their long lost half brothers, the Half-Giants and together they would travel the land in hope of a place to call their own Culture Traveling the land in search of the scarce healthy soil, hunting what few beasts make their home of the inhospitable region, working the land just enough for them to be able to come back. That is the nomadic lifestyle that the half-kin have been forced into; forced to fend for themselves since youth and throwing away any family too sickly or aged to contribute. The telltale signs of a barbaric tribe, but also of one struggling to live in a land that sees them only as prey. Day to day life and the work of these people is easily devided. The first division comes with the hunter-gatherers that scour the land in small packs in search for what little edible vegestation graces their surroundings, while on the look out for the rare living being in Jotunheim that the half-kin can actually consider themselves predators to; then come the pastors who tend to the tribes horde of tamed Mammoths and whose shoulders the responsibility of caring for their temporary hospice comes down to; last but not least come their warriors who train their whole lives to hopefully, one day, participate in the battle that will finally grant them access to safe haven. Religion Both Half-Trolls and Half-Giants share a similar worldview after sharing a common space for a century; they believe in non-believing. That any god that gifted these lands with life and love, would not stand to gaze upon it's current state; That no people should hold in reverance that which they cannot see, that which cannot better their lifes, and that any time spent worshipping these false gods in hope that they better the world would be better spent simply building the road to that goal. Resentment over these civilizations, and over their focus on religion is commonplace within the Half-kin. To the point, that religious desecration has become one of the tribes favourite pass times as they travel through previous dwarven holds and as they attempt to raid human lands.Category:Races